Storm?? What storm!?!?! Not at Bay Shore Park...

          Well I can't believe the Bike To The bay is only a couple weeks out; I don't know where the time went.  Now I really need to get serious about riding that bike so I don't end up keeled over on the side of the road half way through the ride.

     My teammate Robert, who also happens to be training me for the ride, had planed to check out a route for a practice ride he intends to lead at a fundraiser he's holding at the Black Kite Coffee shop, June 14th.  I needed the practice, so I decided to go along.

    Last Saturday was hit or miss, with rain showers all over the forecast, but we could certainly get a ride in at some point if we timed it right.

     after the first bout of ran had cleared by mid afternoon, we drove to Bay Shore Park; then the plan was to ride the route to Maumee Bay State Park.  The clouds looked a little wacky, but I we had to get it in.  Besides, I've never rode in the rain so this would be one more condition to test.  What would a few drops of water hurt?? I certainly wasn't gonna melt...

     We got a mile out and the sky was looking wild, but the view of the clouds over the wide open Lake Erie was awesome, and I yelled "ROBERT, WAIT... I HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE!"  He stopped, and rolled his eyes... mumbling "of course you do..."  Hey, he should know by now, this is what I do:)

     I've seen many white billowy clouds while riding, but this was different.  It was like the calm before the storm. Of course, we had a bike ride to take and we didn't have time for no stink'n storm.

     By this point it wasn't looking real promising, but I was up for a little rain...  Besides, I did want to see if I could handle my bike on wet pavement.

       A couple more photos and we were soon on our way to Maumee Bay State Park.  But as we were riding along the lake I started to feel a few drops.  I thought to myself  "I'm really not in the mood to get wet today...".  I told Robert we might want to head back.  But what if the drops were only blowing off the lake and we quit a perfectly good ride??

     As we rode further along, the trail started veering inland, and yet the drops were continuing to fall, making me believe it wasn't from the lake.  We were only 2 miles out and how pathetic would it be to turn around and end up with a lousy 4 mile ride...  of course, if we rode further and it started to storm, not only would we be looking at a longer return ride, but we would be out in the middle of nowhere.

     So playing it safe we turned around and started heading back.  In my mind I was thinking... "if I didn't have to stop and take those stinking pictures we could have gotten a half way decent ride in..."

     But as we were about a half a mile from our car we heard the first clap of thunder, along with a streak of lightening that lit up the sky.  Now we needed to put it in high gear.

     We barely made it back to the parking lot and no sooner did we pack the bikes up and the sky opened up.  

     Taking this photo through the windshield you would have thought my car was in the lake, but it was pouring down rain!

     We really timed that one a little too close for comfort.  Yes I wanted to see what it would be like to ride in a drizzle, but not a monsoon!

     As I was driving home that though crossed my mind again... why did I have to stop and take those pictures?!?!  Then it hit me... if I hadn't, we would have been about a mile further and in the middle of know where when the storm hit.  

     I called it great timing, but I have to say someone was looking out for me that day:)  So the next time I have to stop and take all these crazy pictures, just remember... everything happens for a reason:)


Have a great day!!

Christine:)